One
definition of insanity is doing the exact same
thing over and over and expecting a different result. By this
definition, much of the Hollywood aristocracy is insane. They seem
intent on proving this less than perfect mental condition by a)
remaking classic movies that require no update, b) turning 60 second
SNL skits into full length movies, and c) turning bad, cheesy, silly
60's, 70's and 80's television shows into feature films.

The
third example drives the subject of tonight's review. Some of the tv to
big screen movies have been passable - I can watch Charlie's Angels
more than once if for no other reason than the Angels themselves, which
not too surprisingly is the same reason I could watch the
original
cornball show itself; I enjoyed the silliness of Get Smart; and
Mission Impossible pulled off the impossible and was better than the
original show, at least for me. But most are simply noise,
filler at the box office that
apparently turn a decent profit, but don't do much for anyone's
careers. They've done them all too - Dragnet, Bewitched, The Brady
Bunch, Starsky and Hutch, The Addams Family, The Beverly Hillbillies,
The Dukes of Hazzard, Lost in Space, McHale's Navy, Miami Vice, Wild
Wild West...most of these are just dvd bargain bin fodder now.

But
the Hollywood types with the money to back projects, being the crazy
folk they are, keep going back to the bad tv well to drink deep.
Their latest idea is The A-Team, the goofy uber-violent (for the
time) action series of the early to mid 80's.

Whether it will be
a hit like Mission Impossible remains to be seen, but at least
this time they have a few things in their favor. It's not silly comedy
or light family fare - it's an action show, and an 80's action show at
that. There was a style back then of over the top violence combined
with goofy one liners and broad stereotypes that made a show like this
(and many of the action movies then as well) a lot of fun. If they can
manage to recapture that - and if audiences still respond - they just
might manage to not be quite so insane. This time.

With any big
summer movie, there's bound to be action figures. Jazwares stepped in,
and are producing a 3 3/4" line based on the new characters. There's
some 12" figures coming as well - can't wait! You can
find these at most mass market retailers starting...now.

Packaging - ***
I like the large scale logo, even if it does mean some wasted
packaging. The colors and graphics give it that street worn, rough
appearance - these ain't no wimpy characters.

There's
very little personalization though, with the same standard text on the
back ("...an elite special ops unit was sent to prison for a crime they
did not commit...") and no photos of the other figures in the series.
The only personalization is the small Baracus insert on the inside
front of the bubble.

Sculpting - ***
Whenever you look at a figure like this, you must keep in mind it's
small scale. He stands just about 4" tall, fitting in extremely well
with most other figures done in a similar scale over the last few
years. That's a huge plus for me, since you can add the A-Team to your
Star Wars display - or load up the van with Stormtroopers for a wild
night of partying.

Proportions
are generally good. The head is smidge small, and the hands are a
smidge large, but these issues are pretty minor in person.

The
articulation and sculpt work well together, allowing the figure to
stand great on his own in just about any pose. It's a matter of getting
his center of gravity just right - then you're golden.

The hands are sculpted to hold
the accessories, and work pretty well.

But
does it look like Baracus? From the screen shots and trailers we've
seen so far, yes, it's a reasonable facsimile. The dark skin tone tends
to hide some of the sculpted facial features, but this is definitely
the new school version of the character once portrayed by Mr. T, and no
one would mis-identify him as the original.

It's worth noting
here that the shoulder holsters are all sculpted as solid pieces. The
gun is not removable, and you can't put the small handgun accessory
inside on either side.

Paint - **1/2
In person, the paint is pretty solid average mass market work. Most of
the issues aren't really obvious until you see him under the harsh eye
of the macro camera lens.

The
paint work on the eyes is a bit wonky, and even the nekkid eye can see
that. The beard is fairly clean, but I'm not sure if the sculpted
mustache is supposed to be painted...or not.

The skin is very
glossy, which makes taking photos of the face fairly difficult. It
might look like he has white eyebrows, but those are just reflections.

The
tampo screws on his shirt and his large tattoo on the left bicep are
fairly clean, again considering the small scale. The weathered jeans
look great, and the boots are excellent.

Had they managed to do a
little better job on the eyes, in particular the pupils, this score
would have been another half star higher, easy.

Articulation - ***1/2
For figures in this scale, and for a company not well know for working
in this scale, these are surprisingly well articulated.

B.A.
has a ball neck, but it operates pretty much like a cut joint, with
very little tilting in any direction. There are pin/disc style ball
shoulders, as well as more traditional ball hips. Pin/disc elbows and
knees, a cut waist and cut wrists round out the articulation.

This
is enough to allow him quite a few stances, and the pins, discs and
posts are all very strong and solid. The quality reminds me somewhat of
the 80's RAH Joes - there's no doubt he could hold up to just about any
play activity, except for the dreaded "forgotten in the backyard until
Dad mows the lawn".

Accessories - ***
B.A. has two guns - a hand gun and a machine gun. Both fit nicely in
his hands, and he can pose with them in just about any way, including
holding them with two hands.

They
don't fit in the holsters though, and as I mentioned in the sculpt
section, the gun you see under his left arm is permanently in place.
Getting two weapons at this price point is still reasonably good, and
the sculpts on both are solid. They're your basic black, so there's
nothing special about the paint, and the plastic is very soft to avoid
injury with smaller kids.

Fun Factor - ***
This
is another one of those PG-13 movies with action figures geared toward
the 9 year old age range. And unlike something like Iron Man, where
plenty of under 13's will end up seeing it by hook or by crook, this is
a movie they won't have any experience or nostalgia for. It's going to
be tough to get them introduced to the property.

Still, the solid articulation
make these good toys, even if they are too old school for most of
today's generation.

Value - ***
Most figures in this scale are now in the $7 -
$8 range, unless you're buying the G.I. Joe figures at Walmart. While
he doesn't come with a ton of extras, there's enough here to warrant a
slightly better than average value at $6.

Things to Watch Out For -
I've heard of some breakage due to stuck joints, so take some
care. Throwing him in the freezer for 20 minutes first might not be a
bad idea.

Also,
the guns, especially the machine gun, are very rubbery and thin. You
could actually tear the weapon in two if you get too rough putting it
in or taking it out of his grip.

Overall - ***
The 3 3/4" scale (which usually ends up more like 4" these days), has
seen new life in the last few years. 2010 hasn't seen as many lines in
this scale as 2008 and 2009, but it's still pretty well entrenched,
especially with movie lines. That means you can put your B.A. next to
Iron Man and have Hellboy or a Stormtrooper join them for a beer. I
consider that a huge plus.

This
scale also lends itself to vehicles, and I'm looking forward to
snagging the van when it finally hits my local Target. I'll probably
pick up a couple more of the figures then as well to add them to the
display.

I'm not sure the movie is a must
see, at least not at
the theater, but then again...it is clearly designed as a summer
popcorn flick, and I do have fond memories of the old show. Maybe if I
can convince the wife that lots of explosions are just what we need on
date night...